


Where the Streets are Paved With Glitter

by unkissed



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bisexuality, Explicit Language, Gay Pride, M/M, Sexual Orientation, Talking Explicitly About Sex, lots of f-bombs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 20:36:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4760144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unkissed/pseuds/unkissed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Teddy finds himself at the Gay Pride parade in muggle London with James, unsure of what he's proud of.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where the Streets are Paved With Glitter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Draco_Amante](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Draco_Amante/gifts).



> This little story was meant to be a drabble, but I found myself long-winded as usual. It was inspired by a photo on Teddy's Tumblr dash. If you'd like to see the post, visit ursuslupinus.tumblr dot com.
> 
> For James, who just doesn't give a fuck (and that's why we love him).
> 
> Thanks to Draco_Amante for letting me bounce this idea off of them IN PERSON! (OMG I actually met one of my writing partners FACE TO FACE!) This one is also dedicated to them.
> 
> Gratitude to ColorfulStabwound, my friend, muse, and partner in literary crime.

Teddy is not ashamed of who he is. He isn’t exactly proud, either. Not in the way that Albus is proud, with rainbow flag stickers plastered on his books and a pink triangle defiantly sewn onto his rucksack.

 

Being bisexual is not something Teddy feels compelled to hide, yet he had done so for years out of necessity. He did not feel ashamed of his sexuality, nor did he feel any pressure to be any other way in order to fit in with his predominantly straight friends.  Teddy had never been public about his bisexuality because every one of his experiences with men had been a secret indiscretion and not anything to be proud of.   Why tout oneself as a proud bisexual, if one cannot even admit to having relationships with men?

 

He still has not been able to admit to himself, let alone to anyone else, that he lost his virginity at seventeen to his second cousin, who was in his thirties at the time and very much attached to his live-in boyfriend. Granted, said boyfriend was an active participant, so it was not technically cheating, but that fact does not negate the very questionable morality of fucking one’s blood relative. Teddy hadn’t recognized his cousin when he had picked him up at a muggle gay bar, which still does not make his behavior excusable.

 

To this day, nobody knows, except the people directly involved, that Teddy slept with his college roommate’s brother while he was still dating Victoire. Also while supposedly dating Vic, Teddy had been carrying on an affair with a married university professor. This is not something anyone can be proud of.

 

And then there’s James.  James is right in all the wrong ways, and wrong in all the ways that should make Teddy ashamed, but end up making the sex really fucking hot. After way too many inappropriate bedfellows, Teddy found himself falling in love with his pseudo-brother because The Fates were clearly having too much fun conspiring with Cupid to make his life miserably awkward. Even if one can look past the notion that Teddy and James were practically raised together in the Potter household, the fact that Teddy is now his teacher cannot be dismissed.

 

Teddy has never been in love like this – a love so consuming and intense that it frightens him.  Albus and the queer community for which he fights would celebrate a love such as that between Teddy and James, were it not for all the conditions that have kept it a secret from him.  And so Teddy finds himself in a conundrum.  He is proud to call James _his_ – this glorious boy with a bright future at the tip of his talented fingers - but he has never been able to declare him as such.

 

 

So it is here, on the streets of Muggle London, beneath a shower of glitter, amongst a sea of scantily and/or ostentatiously attired people, that Teddy feels most frustrated.  It is a celebration of pride, of freedom, of love – all of which Teddy finds elusive.  Even love, which James gives him in droves, seems undeserved and fleeting. In a few weeks, James will leave Hogwarts to train for Puddlemere United, and Teddy will not blame him if he moves on. He knows it is inevitable. If Teddy gives him a reason to stay, James will do it in a heartbeat, and Teddy loves him too much to hold him back.

 

Teddy feels as much a part of the queer community as a lone Hufflepuff does in a classroom full of Slytherins - Same school, but a world apart.  He’s not at the London Pride Festival to show off his colors, both literally and figuratively. He’s merely a distraction.

 

James is chaperoning Albus at his first Pride parade. James wants to be here even less than Teddy does.  Whereas Teddy feels disconnected from the queer community, James just doesn’t give a fuck.

 

“What I do, is what I do, and it isn’t anybody’s fucking business that I like your fat cock inside me once in a while,” James says into Teddy’s ear, just loudly enough to be heard above the raucous din of revelers and music.  “To be honest, it’s a bit obnoxious to be so proud of it that you feel the need to parade up the street waving a giant rainbow flag while wearing arse-less chaps.”

 

“I think you’re missing the point of Pride,” says Teddy, then adds wryly, “And by the way, I think you like my fat cock inside you more than once in a while.” 

 

“I like it _all_ the fucking time,” James purrs in Teddy’s ear before giving it a teasing nibble.

 

Teddy laughs and elbows him gently. “Cut it out,” he reprimands, “I really don’t fancy our little brother finding out about us and mouthing off to your mum and dad.”

 

Albus looks much too engrossed in dancing with Scorpius to care what’s going on next to him.  Teddy doubts he’s even aware that his brothers are standing conspicuously close to one another, talking about how often one prefers to be fucked by the other. But it’s still too risky.

 

James replies, thick with sarcasm, “Oh, so it’s okay for you to flirt with me in front of your entire class while you’re teaching, but it’s not okay for me to flirt with you at a gay pride parade. I see.”

 

“That’s different,” Teddy reasons with James logically, “I was quite subtle when I cleverly alluded to giving you a blow job in the library when I said I’d go down in the history books with you.  I’m positive it flew over everybody’s heads.”

 

“I have the Marauders Map, you know. We could totally do it and get away with it,” James drawls suggestively, leaning on Teddy. “Likewise, I could totally kiss you right now and get away with it,” he says as he menaces Teddy with his approaching lips.

 

Teddy ducks away and giggles nervously. “Jamie, not here.  Are you mad?”

 

James looks mildly annoyed, but Teddy knows him well enough to recognize when his pride is wounded, and there’s nothing more damaging to James than to hit him in his ego.  Teddy softens and drapes his arm over his shoulders.  “Hey,” he whispers into James’ ear, “I’m sorry. Let’s find some place less conspicuous.”

 

Teddy tells Albus and Scorpius that he and James are stepping into the pub behind them for a quick pint and implores them not to leave their spot on the pavement, upon pain of death. Albus and Scorpius appear to have no intention of leaving, but look all too pleased to be left unsupervised.

 

The pub is queer-friendly, and thus crowed with revelers that have spilled in from the streets.   Teddy orders a drink for each of them.  The bartender cheerily hands them two pint glasses and says, “Happy Pride, lads!”

 

Teddy forces an awkward smile at the bartender. James raises his glass and clinks it against Teddy’s, saying, “To anal sex and blow jobs!”

 

Teddy raises a brow as he half-heartedly clinks the other’s glass. “Seriously?  That’s what you think Pride is all about?”

 

James challenges him, perhaps bitterly. “Well, why don’t you tell me what Pride is all about, Professor Lupin, oh wise one, who is so fucking afraid, that he won’t even kiss me where the streets are paved with glitter, amongst a thousand other poofs.”

 

Teddy is now the one who looks wounded but his hair screams his emotions too loudly to even bother hiding them. “It’s about love, James. Can’t you see that? It’s about not feeling ashamed of who you love. And, I’m sorry, but I have a really difficult time feeling prideful when I’m surrounded by all these people who feel free to love and I’m… I’m…” Teddy stalls, trying to find words that won’t potentially wound.

 

“You’re what?” James asks harshly. “You’re ashamed of me?”

 

Teddy grabs James behind his neck and pulls him into a kiss.  James is startled, but soon relaxes against him.  Teddy can’t help but feel fear prickling the back of his neck while he kisses James, unable to shirk the feeling that they’ll get caught.  This is the first kiss they’ve ever shared in public, and Teddy wishes it were not tainted by fear.

 

He pleads with his lips close to James’, “Don’t ever think for one second that I’m ashamed of you.  I love you so much, Jamie.  I want to shout it from the rooftops.”

 

“So why don’t you?” James challenges.

 

“You know why,” Teddy sighs deeply. “Boys are free to love boys, but society still manages to put restrictions on that. We are hardly shining examples of the gay community.  Nobody wants to put us on a poster rallying for tolerance and acceptance - a teacher in love with his younger brother-slash-student.”

 

James goes silent for a while, which is quite a feat. He seems to mull over Teddy’s words as he sips his pint solemnly.  When he’s halfway down the glass, he clunks it down and says, “You know what? Fuck them. I have never thought that what we are is unnatural or wrong. I couldn’t give two fucks about what all these people think of us, and you shouldn’t either. If they object, they’re hypocritical wankers.”

 

Teddy worries his lip silently for a while. He’s rarely pleased when James proves him wrong.  This time is no different. “You’re right,” Teddy admits with a resigned sigh.  “These people don’t know who we are.  I don’t care what _they_ think.   It’s your parents that I worry about.  Harry, mostly.”

 

“Dad’s not here,” James says with a little smirk. “So what are you going to do about it?”

 

 

On the streets that are indeed paved with glitter by now, Teddy takes James’ hand.  Out in the open, out in public, Teddy laces their fingers together. He and James walk two paces behind Albus and Scorpius as the parade ends and the massive street party moves along the road toward the park.

 

“You don’t know how proud I am to call you mine,” Teddy says.

 

“You’re right.  I don’t,” says James with a wry grin.  “Show me.”

 

Teddy stops in the middle of the road, where hundreds of people can see, and he kisses James.  He kisses him with a sense of lightness in his chest. And for the first time, Teddy feels free to be himself – free to dream, free to hope, free to love.

 

“This is what Pride is about, hm?” James mumbles against Teddy’s lips.

 

Teddy nods gently.

 

“I’ve only ever really wanted you,” James admits. Teddy’s heart soars higher than the loose helium balloons escaping from a parade float.   “What does that make me?  Monosexual?” James asks facetiously. 

 

Teddy kisses him softly and speaks around a giggle, “No, it makes you stubborn.”


End file.
